India has a remarkable variety of natural stones that include granite, marble, sandstone, limestone, slate, and quartzite, spread out all over the country. India is also amongst the largest producer of raw stone material, with superior quality, low prices and the most advanced technology for quarrying and processing of stone.

The Indian natural stone industry is evolved in the production and the manufacturing of dimensional stone blocks for monumental and building purposes, in all forms of structural slabs, flooring slabs, structural slabs, calibrated – ready to fix tiles, in processed monuments and tomb stones, in cobbles, cubes, kerbs and landscape garden stones, etc.

Marble was used for building tombs, temples and palaces. For a long time it was considered as Royal Stone. It is, however, now used in hotels and homes too.

Marble is a natural mineral primarily composed of carbonates such as calcite and dolomite. It is a metamorphic rock, which is usually white in color. However, rarely, marble can have pigmentation anywhere between yellow and red color due to the presence of impurities such as iron oxide, bitumen, and clay minerals. Marble is often used for decorative purposes due its bright white color and lustrous finish.

Demand for marble is rising in the construction industry due to its esthetics such as beauty and sculpture. Rapid growth in the construction industry in several developing regions across the world is likely to propel the demand for marble in the near future. Marble not only serves the decorative purpose, but is also functionally used as filler for concrete aggregate, stairs, pavements, floor coverings, and external walls in the construction industry. Marble is often associated with luxury and extravagance; hence, it is employed for decoration purposes in various lavish buildings and monuments such as hotels, theatres, temples, churches, memorial buildings, and tombs. This is anticipated to fuel the demand for marble in the near future. Use of marble is not limited to construction and architectural applications. Marble is also used in ground form as calcium supplement to farm animals; soft abrasive material for grinding application; manufacture of antacid and acid-neutralizer; and also as soil enhancer. These applications are projected to propel the demand for marble during the forecast period.

Based on application, the global marble market can be segmented into construction, architecture, agriculture, pharmaceutical, and others. Construction is the major consumer of marble; the stone is used in applications such as laying pavements, stairs, kitchen platforms, flooring, sculpture, and external walls. Furthermore, ground form is added to the concrete mixture as filler agent. The others segment consists of applications wherein marble powder is used such as paints and coatings. Marble powder is also used in some plastics and rubbers to increase density and weight of the final product. Based on form, the marble market can be segregated into slabs and powders. Marble slab is the widely used form. These slabs are then shaped and molded into tiles and blocks for suitable applications. On the other hand, powder is directly employed in applications such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and abrasives. In terms of color, the marble market can be segmented into white and others (yellow, pink, and gray). White marble is the purest form and is also the most widely used marble in the world. Based on type, the marble market can be segmented into natural and synthetic. Natural marble is obtained from quarries and open pit mines; however, synthetic marble is cultured stone made by mixing stone particles and resins together.

India is well known all over the world for its wide variety of granites, but the general impression is they are located in the south of the country. The north, especially the state of Rajasthan, is usually associated with marble, sandstone and slates. Few associate the state of Rajasthan with a granite industry. Yet, in an almost furtive manner, unknown to most of the stone industry people, a significant granite industry has been developing in the state in recent years. This relatively recent industry is not just processing materials extracted elsewhere. It is, in fact, extracting granites of a fairly wide range of colours found within the state itself.

Gypsum is an important raw material used in the manufacture of cement. Consumption of gypsum varies from 2 to 6% in different plants depending upon the quality of clinker. India has good reserves of natural gypsum, mainly in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. A number of chemical industries obtain gypsum as a by-product in the form of phospho-gypsum. The chemical gypsum can be utilised as a whole or as part substitute to natural gypsum. Many cement plants, which are located near the source of phosphogypsum are using this substi- tute product. India produces around 2.50 per cent of the world´s 150 million tonnes of natural gypsum. The country has a total reserve of recoverable cement and natural gypsum of 39 million tonnes.

The global Gypsum market is valued at $1.49 billion in 2016, equivalent to 252 million tonnes, with 33.3% and 60.9% being consumed in the plasterboard and cement industries, respectively. The gypsum market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 9.9% to reach nearly $2.4 billion by 2018 and $3.8 billion by 2026.

Nearly all gypsum is used in three prime applications: building construction, cement (where it is used as a setting retarder), and agriculture (mostly for soil conditioner and fertiliser). Another common application is wet or powdered plaster. Minor applications include dentistry and surgical/medical, e.g., plaster casts.

The Mica industry in India has long been of the world’s largest in terms of mica production and mica exports. India’s mica mining plays an important role in the country’s overall mining activity, contributing significantly to the economic growth of India. Despite the mica industry in India currently going through serious controversies around child labor issues, India still remains one of the largest suppliers of mica in the global market. As the mica market continues to grow, business opportunities with leading mica producers and exporters in India are also expected to flourish in the future, especially as the Indian government and the top players in the market launch new initiatives to tackle and eliminate the child labor issues.

The global mica market revenue is expected to increase from US$478.1 million in 2015 to US$669.3 million by 2024 — posting a 3.8% CAGR over the period. The market growth is mainly driven by rising applications across a diverse set of industries such as electronics, construction, cosmetics, plastic, rubber, and paints and coatings. With a constant rise in the population of people used to seeing and working with a vast variety of electronic and electric equipment on a daily basis for an endless set of applications, the electronics industry is expected to exhibit excellent growth in the next few years. 

India has been dominating the production and export of sheet mica in the world, due to the sufficient mica mining resources in the country to meet the domestic requirement and export demand. Andhra Pradesh is the state that leads with 41% share in country’s total mice resources followed by Rajasthan and Odisha.